Police to create three neighborhood resource officer positions

NEW BEDFORD — Police Chief David Provencher said he is planning to create three new neighborhood resource officers after two groups of new officers are sworn in this month.

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By NATALIE SHERMAN

southcoasttoday.com

By NATALIE SHERMAN

Posted Feb. 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By NATALIE SHERMAN
Posted Feb. 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — Police Chief David Provencher said he is planning to create three new neighborhood resource officers after two groups of new officers are sworn in this month.

The first group of 12 officers was sworn in Monday at a ceremony at City Hall. Another six are scheduled to be sworn in Feb. 26, according to mayoral spokeswoman Elizabeth Treadup.

The new hires will fill a number of vacant positions and allow the department to create at least three new neighborhood resource officers, one for each district, to perform in a community policing capacity, Provencher said.

"The civic leaders have voiced their opinion that these officers assigned to neighborhood issues are a valuable resource," Provencher said. "I'm happy to be able to start the process of bringing that service back."

Five of the newly hired officers will be funded for three years through a $750,000 federal COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) grant, which the city received last summer.

The grant requires police departments to hire either laid-off police officers or recent military veterans who have served at least 180 days since Sept. 11, 2001.

The city must fund the COPS positions, one of which remains vacant, for a fourth year, Provencher said, adding that he thinks it is a "safe bet" that the department will be able to retain them once that year ends.

The new officers will bring the city's police force to 270, not including three positions that still need to be filled, he said.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said the new officers would allow the department to increase its presence in certain areas.

"In general, this feeling of police presence in the right places can go a long way to deter street crime," he said. "That's the goal of our bringing on new members to the force."